Delhi Capitals opener Jake Fraser-McGurk failed to make the Australia squad for the T20 World Cup
cricket9 hours ago
By a looser measure, almost 90 percent of black children that age and 80 percent of Hispanic kids could be vitamin D deficient — ‘astounding numbers’ that should serve as a call to action, said Dr. Jonathan Mansbach, lead author of the new analysis and a researcher at Harvard Medical School and Children’s Hospital in Boston.
The findings add to mounting evidence about vitamin D deficiency in children, teens and adults, a concern because of recent studies suggesting the vitamin might help prevent serious diseases, including infections, diabetes and even some cancers.
While hard evidence showing that low levels of vitamin D lead to disease or that high levels prevent it is lacking, it’s a burgeoning area of research.
Exactly how much vitamin D children and adults should get, and defining when they are deficient, is under debate. Doctors use different definitions, and many are waiting for guidance expected in an Institute of Medicine report on vitamin D due next year. The institute is a government advisory group that sets dietary standards.
The new analysis, released online Monday by the journal Pediatrics, is the first assessment of varying vitamin D levels in children aged 1 through 11.
Previous studies in the journal this year found low levels were prevalent in US teens, and also showed kids with low levels had higher blood pressure and cholesterol levels, and were more likely to be overweight.
The new analysis uses data from a 2001-06 government health survey of nearly 3,000 children. They had blood tests measuring vitamin D levels.
Using the American Academy of Pediatrics’ cutoff for healthy vitamin D levels, 6.4 million children — about 20 percent of kids that age — have blood levels that are too low. Applying a less strict, higher cutoff, two-thirds of children that age, including 90 percent of black kids and 80 percent of Hispanics, are deficient in vitamin D.
A Pediatrics editorial says the strongest evidence about effects of vitamin D deficiency in kids involves rickets, a bone disease common a century ago but that continues to occur.
Rickets can be treated and prevented with 400 units daily of vitamin D, the editorial says. The pediatricians’ group recently recommended that amount for all children, saying that most need vitamin supplements.
Mansbach says his study, funded by the National Institutes of Health, supports that recommendation.
Children can get 400 units daily by drinking four cups of fortified milk, or eating lots of fish, but many don’t do that.
The body also makes vitamin D when sunlight hits the skin, but many children don’t spend enough time outdoors. That’s one reason why lower vitamin D levels are found in children living in colder climates and those with darker skin, which absorbs less sunlight.
On the Net:
Delhi Capitals opener Jake Fraser-McGurk failed to make the Australia squad for the T20 World Cup
cricket9 hours ago
The Egyptian Foreign Minister said Israel's seizure of the Rafah border and its military operations in the area are the main reasons of the closure
mena9 hours ago
UAE-based skincare consultant and digital creator Nipun Kapur Sohal on what works and what doesn't in an industry that's hyper-focused on sales
beauty9 hours ago
In 2023, total consumption of gold in the UAE reached 39.7 tonnes
business9 hours ago
Parkin’s share sale contributed 37.2 per cent of the total IPO value
markets9 hours ago
Group forecasts oil demand to grow by 2.2 million barrels a day this year
energy9 hours ago
The Pakistan-born opening batter got more votes than superstar Shaheen Afridi as he became the first UAE player to win the ICC award
cricket9 hours ago
Emaar Development’s sales backlog has increased to Dh65.7 billion
realty9 hours ago